Seri. CLXXV. Confirmation of Chri/fianity. 491 wonders, and with divers miracles, andgifts of the Holy Ghojt, according so hi.e own will. ZuueonArvpv "v-70. is fix, Gail adjoyning this farther teflimony of lips andwon- ders. The Apoffles teftified what they had heard from our Lord ; and to give credit and confirmation to their Teftimony, God was pleated to endow themwith Miraculous Gifts, he bare them witnefs with figns, and wonders, and miracles. So likewife, Aar tq. 3. it is Paid, that Godgave tefiimony to the word of his grace, grant- ing fgns and wonders to be done by the Apoflles. Sometimes there are more words put together, to exprefs thegiving of this Miraculous Power. Alts 2. zz. Jeftis of Nazareth approved of Gad by miracles, and wonders, and ftgns. z Cor. r 2. la. St. Paul, (peaking of himfelf Pays, The fnsof an Apoflle were wrought among you, in all Patience, in Signs, and Wonders, and Miracles. Thefe were the Marks of an ex- traordinary and immediate Commiffion, fuch as was that of the Apoftles. It is ro no purpofe nicely to enquire into the difference of thefe words, o i wà '1ewm., Jbrdi o ; Signs, Wonders, and Miracles, becaufe in all probability, there is no difference intended, it being the manner of the Hebrews, when they would ex- prefs a great thing, or a great degree of any thing, to heap feveral words together, fignifying the fame thing. So we find Deut. 6. S, Thou (halt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart,and with all thySoul, and with.all thy Might, that is, Greatly, with a very ardent and intenfe degree of Affe&ion. So likewife in the Text, God is laid to bear witnefs to the Apoflles with Signs, andWonders, and Miracles, that is, in a very eminent and extraordinary manner, by great and wonderful Miracles. From thefe words, Three things off_r themfelves to our Confideration. Firfl, That Miracles are a Divine Teflimony given to a Perlon or Doctrine. Godbearing them teflimony, by Signs, and Wonders, and Miracles. Secondly, That God gave this Teftimony to the Apoftles, and first Preachers of Chriffianity, in a very eminent manner : for fo thePhrafe lignifies, fo many words being multiplied to exprefs the greatnefs of the thing. Thirdly, We will confider the Reafon why Miraclesarc nowceafed in the Church, and have been for feveral Ages, fo that therc.have been no footfteps of them for a long time. Firfl, That Miracles are a Divine Teftimony given to a Perlon or Do&rine. God is here Paid, to bear witnefs to the Apoilles, withSigns, and Wonders, anddivers Miracles ; that is, the Miracles which God enabled them to work, were an evidence that their Doctrine was from God. And becaufe there is tome difficulty in this Argument, therefore, that we may the more diftin&ly underffand of what force this Argument or Te(iiimony of Mi- racles is to prove the Divinity of any Perlon or Do&rin,', it win be requifxe clearly to flare chele Two things. I. What a Miracle is. II. In what Circumftances, and with what Limitations, Miracles are a flsficienr Teftimony to the Truth and Divinity of any Dot rive. The clearing of thefe Two things (hall be my work at this time. L What a Miracle is. The (harteft and plaineft defcription I can give of it, is this, that it is a fupernatural Eft & evident and wonderful to Senfe. So that there are Two things neceffary to a Miracle. r. That it be a Supernatural Effie&. ?. That it be evident and wonderful to fenfe: r. That it be a fupernatural Eff-c&. By a fupernatural Efte&, I mean fuels an Effect, as either in it fell, and in its own Nature, or in the Manner and Circum- fiancesof it, exceeds any natural Power that we know of toproduce it. For there are lame things that are Miraculous in themfelves; others that are only Miraculous in the manner and circuinftancesof their operation. For inftance, the Refurre&ion ofone from theDead, is a thing which in it Pelf is fupernatural, and a : Efe& above any Power that we know of in Nature to produce; but the healing of feveral Dif- eafes, and the (peaking of Languages, are not things which are in themfelves, and in their Nature fupernatural : for we fee that they may be acquired by natural Skill and Indultry : but to heal all forts of Difeafes, in an In(tant, and by a Word, and without the application of natural Means ; and on a fudden to (peak Languages which
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